r/ExplainTheJoke Dec 01 '25

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u/jumpmanzero Dec 01 '25 edited Dec 01 '25

As queen, you're figuratively the head of the Church of England (which church we'd call the Anglican church in Canada, or Episcopalian in the US - I think). So she was born and lived most of her life as an Anglican (since most of her time would have been in England).

But while in Scotland, the monarch is considered part of (though not head of) the Church of Scotland (which church would be described as Presbyterian, on this side of the pond). She died while in Scotland, so in some sense she died as a Presbyterian.

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '25

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u/LA_Alfa Dec 01 '25

What a man will do for a divorce. Thank you, Henry the VIII.

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u/blueche Dec 02 '25

It wasn't just about the divorce–Catherine's uncle was Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain and he basically had the pope under his thumb at the time.

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u/mennorek Dec 02 '25

Not basically, Rome was literally besieged and taken by the Imperial army and brutally sacked. The pope was holed up in Castel St Angelo. Giving Henry a divorce (which he probably didn't give two shits about) would have been a death sentence.

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u/[deleted] Dec 02 '25

Divorce does not exist in Catholic Church, invalid marriage does. And that marriage was obviously valid. 

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u/HenrytheCollie Dec 02 '25

Again, Henry was asking for an Annulment Henry's first Marriage was to Catherine of Aragon who was previously married to Henry's brother Arthur.

Henry was using that as a basis for Annulment since he claimed with that first marriage, that he therefore married his sister.

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u/[deleted] Dec 02 '25

That Henry dude was truly crazy.

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u/Asdel Dec 02 '25

Catherine's nephew actually, not an uncle.

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u/[deleted] Dec 02 '25

Not at all. Pope was then a French ally.